


The Way it Works

by Major_tom



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Flashback, Fluff, Future, M/M, Older Age, little bit of "Love Actually", proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-16
Packaged: 2018-01-15 21:56:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1320607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Major_tom/pseuds/Major_tom





	The Way it Works

"Why do I continue to put up with this?" Zach questioned more inwardly, rather than to the man currently clung onto his shoulder. He felt Chris breathing heavily onto his chest as a result of running laps around their house, when hearing the news that Karl will be coming by to visit in a couple of days.

"Because the sex is amazing." Chris replied out of breath, now putting all of his weight into Zach, and feeling them almost topple to the ground right before Chris let go and walked nonchalantly back into their house. "Also, I maybe possibly might have broken the fence, but that's for you to determine," he throws over his shoulder before quickly closing the glass door to avoid hearing Zach's response.

Zach ran a hand through his still fabulously thick hair, a small streak of gray right in the front making him visually rock his 50's. He and Chris have been together for a little over 15 years, and still they're the baddest bitches to walk the planet, in their opinion. He walked around the house, aware of his continuously child-like husband peering at him through the window, and headed to the fence to assess the damage. It wasn't too bad, but he had to keep up his angry demeanor, because he liked when Chris was constantly cautious around him. 

Chris had always been the pistol, still fiery and fierce, and forever assuming the world was his oyster. Zach is always cleaning up the messes that Chris makes, and reluctantly finds himself apologizing to others on behalf of his counterpart. They've created a nice bubble in their relationship, where they're grouchy and cynical to each other when needed, but when it comes down to it, they're way to codependent to be going anywhere. Both men have regretfully professed unto each other that they're too alike and simultaneously different to be able to spend long periods of time with anyone else in the world. There hasn't been a single other person that they have connected to so greatly, so in reality, Zach puts up with Chris because he has no choice. They've been apart for long periods of time, and it has not been pretty.

Chris peeks his head out the side door and calls to Zach. "Hey babe, do we have any eggs? I'm makin' me some goddamn pancakes." 

Zach shakes his head subtly, and turns around to respond. "No. You used them all to make pancakes yesterday. And this morning. No more." He hears Chris whine and after a few seconds of silence, he's met with Chris's voice once again.

"But ZAAAACCCHHH I need them! Can you go to the convenient store and get me some?" 

"No! All you've eaten in the past three days are pancakes. God you're like a ten year old." Chris practically slammed the door shut and through the window made a big deal of preparing himself a bowl of Captain Crunch instead, and leaving Zach to his thoughts.

Chris hadn't been like anyone he's dated in the past. Zach had typically gone for the sophisticated, occasionally twink-ish, brooding model type. If he had realized earlier how perfect Chris was for him, he would have spent a lot more of his life as endlessly happy as he is now. He's had a lot of time to think about how they work so well, and the answer has repeatedly shown itself to pretty much be that it's just how their brains work together. When they first met at a party only a few days before Chris was cast as Kirk, they'd established the similarity of them both being english majors, and spend a bit of the night talking about their favorite literature. On their first day of actual, real filming, they joked about the gay subtext eternally established within the story by the fans. On the first movie's premiere night after everyone important had gone home at the after party, they stayed up all night at Zach's just talking about everything. When they started filming the second movie, there were more jokes and gags, leading into a more comfortable routine and the occasional flirtatious moment that apparently everyone else saw but them. By the time the second film had premiered, they saw it too. They didn't say anything. On their first date Chris stole a painting that Zach had admired from a fancy five star restaurant after paying, and they ran out before anyone could see where they went. They headed to the beach, non-stop laughing from what had just happened, and Zach was feeling more exhilarated than any other time with any other person in his whole life. He knew he needed to keep the source of this happiness around for a long time.

By their third date, when Chris punched a man for making eyes at Zach, well, that had just been icing on the cake.

Zach brings up that moment, whenever Chris jokingly threatens for the millionth time to leave him for some younger male model, and he watches as Chris defends his actions yet again. "That dumb queen had it coming". That line always makes Zach smile.

Zach decides fixing the fence would be utterly useless, considering he's already fixed it about 5 times before in various spots, and its not like they really need to try to appeal to anyone anymore, so he walks away from it, back towards the house.

As goes in, he sees Chris lounging on the couch watching daytime TV with the bowl of cereal on his belly, shoveling spoonfuls into his mouth. 

"Didja fix it?" he asks with a mouthful. 

"No. I know you're just going to break it again. Why spend the time?" Zach responds passively.

"Ahh you know me so well." Chris says back, smiling as big as he can, and turns back to the TV.

From the kitchen, Zach watches Chris focus on the television, with a glazed look over his eyes. He remembers back to the first time Chris kissed him, and when Chris had first asked him out. It was always Chris who initiated the progression of their relationship, except for when Zach proposed. Chris, assumed to be straight, definitely threw people to the curb when he stated about six months into their relationship that: "I'm not gay. I'm actually probably straight. I've only liked women my whole life, and I still like women. The only exception is Zach, and will only ever be Zach. I may have dated many women, but Zach means way more to me than any of them combined, really. I don't think there's a word for it. Honestly, at this point I'm only attracted to Zach.". Chris at the time didn't think a simple quote would catch on so rapidly with the media so that anyone, let alone Zach, would see it. But in that moment, the whole world had decided that they were the "it" couple, and Zach had decided he was going to marry Chris Pine.

Everyone was talking about Zach's proposal after it happened. Zach knew that Chris's sister, Katie, was over there visiting at the time, which was perfect because he knew she would video tape it, and he was not disappointed when she pulled through. Zach had never shown very much drastic emotion, especially when he knew other people would see it, but Chris loved it whenever he did. Zach decided that this wasn't about him, it was about Chris and his happiness, so little 36 year old Zach swallowed his pride and finally did something to push their relationship further. 

Zach knocked on the door, holding huge signs in his arms, and waited for Chris to answer. When he did, visual shock ran across his face, then suddenly hidden by a beautiful smile that made Zach's eyes water. With shaking hands and a few spectators, Zach turned the first card around, and in order and all together, flipping through them periodically when needed, the cards read: "Chris; you have made me infinitely happy in a short period of time. No one has ever done that to me. I know you may not think you're anything to care for, but let me tell you how wrong you are. You may not like your hair, imperfections, personality, sense of humor, crude way of showing affection..." Chris laughed at that one, eyes filling with tears at this new outwardly affectionate Zach that he quickly loved. Zach's nervousness was clear on his face, with red eyes and small smile, but Chris found it all the more endearing. "...but I'm here to say: to me, you are perfect. I don't usually...like people...but you have changed me. I wouldn't be able to stand not having you in my life. Chris Pine..." and here Zach took a minute to breathe. Katie was covering her mouth in clear emotion and shock behind Chris while holding her phone in view of Zach, catching every moment. Chris himself was staring with shockingly blue eyes that vibrantly contrasted with the red around them and on his face, directly into Zach's dark browns. Zach briefly closed his eyes and took a short breath, then dropped the card in front to reveal the last one. "...Will you marry me?"

Zach will always remember that completely out of character moment on both of their parts. Every detail of Chris's face progressing through the different reactions. How it felt to kneel on the ground and pull the ring out of his pocket. To finally know how the anticipation successfully lead to their engagement, and how almost immediately after, Chris had called him a flaming homo, but kissed him anyway. Ever since then, he had a soft look and smile on his face when gazing at Zach, but when confronted, he put front a silly demeanor, not giving away his raw affection for that one moment. Zach knew, of course, just because Zach knew everything about Chris without always having to be outwardly told, but didn't say anything. Even in their older age they have never given up their passion and codependence, because everything about each other fits so well, that they couldn't leave even if they wanted to. 

Chris looked over from the couch to see Zach smiling fondly, and he opened his arm as a gesture to bring him over to join in watching TV. Zach pushed off the counter and shuffled over to sit next to Chris, putting his head at the base of his neck, and wrapping his arm around Chris's waist. Chris kissed Zach's forehead, and leaned his own head on top of Zach's, aware that tender moments like this don't happen very often in their admittedly chaotic lifestyle. Chris remembered the same moment, different details of when Zach finally reciprocated his actions, and made him the happiest man on Earth.

All threats, jokes, and craziness aside, there's no place in any universe that either of them would rather be.


End file.
